The family of Powhatan--His successor--Sequel of the history of
Pocahontas--Her acts of kindness to the colonists at various times, and
especially to Smith--His gratitude--Her civilisation, and instruction in
Christianity--Her visit to England in 1616--Reception at
Court--Interview with Smith--His memorial respecting her to Queen
Anne--Her death and character--Her descendants.
The family of Powhatan was numerous and influential. Two sons and two
daughters have already been mentioned. There were also three brothers
younger than himself; and upon them successively, according to their
several ages, custom seems to have required that the government should
devolve after his own death. The eldest, Opitchipan, [FN] accordingly
succeeded him, in form at least. But this prince was an inactive and
unambitious man--owing in some degree perhaps to his being decrepit; and
he was soon thrown into the shade by the superior energy and talent of
Opechancanough, who before many years engrossed in fact the whole power of
the government. Of the younger brother, Kekataugh, scarcely any thing is
known. He probably died before any opportunity occurred of signalizing
himself in a public station. The sequel of the history of Opechancanough
is well worthy of being dwelt upon at some length; but previously, the
order of time requires us to devote a share of attention to the fortunes
of his celebrated niece, Pocahontas.
* * * * *
[FN] By various writers called Itopatin, Itoyatin, Oetan, Opitchipan,
Toyatan--a characteristic instance of the uncertainty which attends the
orthography of Indian proper names. One cause is in the custom of
changing the name upon great occasions. Opitchipan himself after his
accession was called Sasawpen; and Opechancanough, Mangopesomen.
This beautiful and amiable woman, whom John Smith, in the excess of his
admiration, styles "the Numpareil of Virginia," has been distinguished in
modern times, chiefly, by that single extraordinary act of courage and
humanity to which the gallant historian was indebted for the preservation
of his life. But this was by no means the only evidence of these noble
qualities which history has preserved. Her name indeed is scarcely once
mentioned by the most ancient chronicles of the colony, except in terms of
high eulogy, and generally in connexion also with some substantial facts
going strongly to justify the universal partiality with which her memory
is regarded to these times.
In the earliest and most gloomy days of the settlement, immediately after
Smith's return from his captivity, the liberal and thoughtful kindness of
Pocahontas went very far to cheer the desponding hearts of the colonists,
as well as to relieve their actual necessities. She came into Jamestown
with her attendants once in every four or five days, for a long time; and
brought with her supplies of provisions, by which many lives are stated to
have been saved. This will appear more fully from an ancient document
which we shall hereafter transcribe at length.
When Smith was absent upon one of his Indian expeditions, emergencies
occurred at Jamestown which rendered his presence extremely desirable. But
not a man could be found who dared venture to carry a message to him from
the council. He was known to be environed by enemies, and the hostility
and power of Powhatan were at that period subjects of the most exaggerated
apprehension. One Richard Wyffin at last undertook the hazardous
enterprise. Encountering many dangers and difficulties, he reached the
residence of Powhatan, a day or two after Smith had left it for Pamunkey.
He found that great preparations for war were going on among the
Powhatans; and he soon became himself the object of suspicion. His life
undoubtedly would have paid the forfeit of his rashness, had not
Pocahontas, who knew his perilous situation even better than himself,
concealed him, and thwarted and embarrassed the search of the savages who
pursued him, so that "by her means and extraordinary bribes and much
trouble in three days travell," as history says, "at length he found vs
in the middest of these turmoyles," (at Jamestown.)
Her conduct was the same after Smith's departure for England. Of the
thirty men who accompanied Ratcliffe when he was massacred by the Indians,
only one escaped to the colony, and one was rescued by Pocahontas. This
was a boy named Henry Spilman, who subsequently was restored to his
friends, [FN-1] and from the knowledge of Indian languages which he
obtained during his residence with the Patowomekes proved highly
serviceable as an interpreter. Smith himself was more than _once_ under
obligations to the princess for his personal safety. We have alluded to
that occasion when he quartered, over night, near the residence of her
father. "Pocahontas, his dearest iewell and daughter, in that darke night
came through the irksome woods, and told our Captaine great cheare should
be sent vs by and by; but Powhatan and all the power he could make, would
after come kill vs all, if they that brought it could not kill vs with our
owne weapons, when we were at supper. Therefore if we would liue, she
wished vs presently to be gone. Such things as she delighted in, he would
haue giuen her; but with the teares running downe her cheekes, she said
she durst not be seen to haue any, for if Powhatan should know it, she
were but dead, and so she ran away by herself as she came." [FN-2] What an
affecting instance of the most delicate tenderness mingled with the
loftiest courage.
* * * * *
[FN-1] He was destined, however, to die at last by the hands of the
savages, in 1623.
[FN-2] Smith's History.
It would have been strange indeed, if Smith, with all his passionate
chivalry, had been insensible of these repeated kindnesses. Even Powhatan
had too good an opinion of him to suppose so, for he had the sagacity to
rely upon his gratitude for political purposes. When some of the emperor's
subjects were taken prisoners by Smith, (although peace was nominally
existing,) and forced to confess that Powhatan had employed them to work
mischief against the colony, the latter "sent messengers, _and his dearest
daughter Pocahontas,_" with presents, to make apologies for the past, and
promises for the future. Smith, on the other hand, (who understood as well
as any one, the part of a gentleman,) after giving the prisoners such
correction as he deemed necessary, treated them well for a day or two, and
then delivered them to Pocahontas, "for whose sake onely he fayned to have
saued their liues, and gaue them libertie." The emperor was paid for this
ingenuity in his own coin, when the colonists, in 1613, took the princess
herself captive, relying on the well-known strength of his attachment to
her, as the surest means of procuring peace.
Her subsequent history may be soon told. Rolfe had become ardently
enamoured of her beauty, and he used the fortunate occasion of her stay in
the colony--perhaps was active in bringing it on--to procure the
intercession of the President in his behalf. Pocahontas cherished similar
feelings towards himself and when her brothers came to visit her she made
one of them her confidant. Rolfe gained information of her sentiments, and
thus was emboldened to prosecute his suit with a spirit worthy of the
success which it met with. The parties married. In the course of a year or
two, the young bride became quite an adept in the English language and
manners, and was well instructed in the doctrines of Christianity. She was
entitled by her new acquaintances the Lady _Rebecca._
In 1616, she and her husband accompanied Sir Thomas Dale to England. King
James, (that anointed pedant, as Stith calls him,) is said to have been
offended with Rolfe for his presumption in marrying the daughter of a
king--a crowned head, too, it will be recollected.--He might have thought,
perhaps, following up his own principles, that the offspring of the
marriage would be fairly entitled to succeed Powhatan in his dominion. But
the affair passed off, with some little murmuring; and Pocahontas herself
was received at Court, by both the King and Queen, with the most
flattering marks of attention. Lord de la War, and his lady, and many
other courtiers of rank, followed the royal example. The princess was
gratified by the kindness shown to her; and those who entertained her, on
the other hand, were unanimously of opinion, as Smith expresses himself;
that they had seen many English ladies worse-favored, proportioned and
behaviored.
The captain was at this time in England; and although upon the eve of
leaving that country on a voyage to New England, he delayed his departure
for the purpose of using every possible means in his power of introducing
the princess to advantage. A memorial which he draughted with his own
hand, and sent in to the Queen, is supposed to have had no little
influence at Court. It is well worth transcribing, both as a curiosity of
style, and as a document of authentic history. It reads thus:
"To the most high and vertuous Princess Queene Anne of Great Britain:
"Most admired Queene,
"The loue I beare my God, my King and Countrie hath so oft emboldened mee
in the worst of extreme danger, that now honestie doth constraine mee
presume thus farre beyond myselfe, to present your Maiestie this short
discourse. If ingratitude be a deadly poyson to all honest vertues, I must
be guiltie of that crime if I should omit any meanes to be thankful. So it
is,
"That some ten yeeres agoe, being in Virginia, and taken prisoner by the
power of Powhatan their chiefe King, I received from this great Salvage
exceeding great courtesie, especially from his sonne Nantaguans, the most
manliest, comeliest, boldest spirit I euer saw in a salvage; and his
sister Pocahontas, the King's most deare and well-beloued daughter, being
but a childe of twelue or thirteene yeeres of age, whose compassionate
pitifull heart, of desperate estate, gaue mee much cause to respect her; I
being the first christian this proud King and his grim attendants euer
saw; and thus inthralled in their barbarous power, I cannot say I felt the
least occasion of want that was in the power of those my mortall foes to
preuent, notwithstanding al their threats.
"After some sixe weeks fatting among these Salvage Courtiers, at the
minute of my execution, she hazarded the beating out of her owne braines
to saue mine, but not onely that, but so preuailed with her father, that I
was safely conducted to Iames-towne, where I found about eight and thirtie
miserable poore and sicke creatures, to keepe possession of al those
large territories of Virginia; such was the weaknesse of this poore
commonwealth, as had the salvages not fed us, we directly had starued.
"And this reliefe, most Gracious Queens, was commonly brought vs by this
Lady Pocahontas, Notwithstanding al these passages, when inconstant
fortune, turned our peace to warre, this tender Virgin would still not
spare to dare to visit vs, and by her our iarres haue been oft appeased,
and our wants still supplyed. Were it the policie of her father thus to
imploy her, or the ordinance of God thus to make her his instrument, or
her extraordinarie affection to our nation, I know not. But of this I am
sure; when her father, with the utmost of his policie and power, sought to
surprise mee, hauing but eighteene with mee, the darke night could not
affright her from comming through the irkesome woods, and with watered
eies gaue me intilligence, with her best aduice, to escape his furie;
which had hee knowne, he had surely slaine her.
"Iames-toune, with her wild traine, she as freely frequented as her
father's habitation; and during the time of two or three yeeres, she next
under God, was still the instrument to preserve this colonie from death,
famine and utter confusion, which if in those times had once been
disolued, Virginia might haue line as it was at our first arrivall to this
day.
"Since then, this businesse hauing beene turned and varied by many
accidents from that I left it at, it is most certaine, after a long and
troublesome warre after my departure, betwixt her father and our colonie,
at which time shee was not heard off, about two yeeres after she her selfe
was taken prisoner. Being so detained neere two yeeres longer, the colonie
by that means was relieued, peace concluded, and at last reiecting her
barbarous condition, shee was maried to an English gentleman, with whom at
this present shee is in England; the first Christian euer of that nation,
the first Virginian euer spake English, or had a childe in marriage by an
Englishman. A matter, surely, if my meaning bee truly considered and well
vnderstood, worthy a Prince's vnderstanding.
"Thus, most Gracious Lady, I have related to your Maiestie, what at your
best leasure our approued Histories will account you at large, and done in
the time of your Maiestie's life; and howeuer this might bee presented you
from a more worthy pen, it cannot from a more honest heart. As yet I neuer
begged any thing of the state, or any, and it is my want of abilitie and
her exceeding desert, your birth meanes and authoritie, her birth, vertue,
want and simplicitie, doth make mee thus bold, humbly to beseech your
Maiestie to take this knowledge of her, though it bee from one so vnworthy
to be the reporter as my selfe, her husband's estate not being able to
make her fit to attend your Maiestie. The most and least I can doe is to
tell you this, because none so oft hath tried it as my selfe; and the
rather being of so great a spirit, howeuer her stature.
"If shee should not be well recieued, seeing this kingdom may rightly haue
a kingdom by her meanes, her present loue to vs and christianitie might
turne to such scorne and furie, as to diuert al this good to the worst of
euill; where [whereas] finding so great a Queene should doe her some honor
more than she can imagine, for being so kinde to your seruants and
subjects, would so rauish her with content, as endeare her dearest blood
to effect that your Maiestie and al the King's honest subjects most
earnestly desire. And so I humbly kisse your gracious hands."
The final interview between the gallant and generous writer of this
memorial and the princess who was the subject of it, is an occasion too
interesting to be passed over without notice. She had been told that
Smith, whom she had not seen for many years, was dead; but why this
information was given her, does not appear. Perhaps it was to make his
appearance the more gratifying. Possibly, Master Rolfe, in the heat of his
passion, during the critical period of courtship had deemed it advisable
and justifiable to answer, to this effect, the anxious inquiries she would
naturally make after Smith, especially during her confinement at
Jamestown. But whatever the reason was, the shock of the first meeting had
nearly overwhelmed her. She was staying at Brentford, after her visit to
London, having retired thither to avoid the noise and smoke of the
metropolis, which she was far from enjoying. Smith was announced and soon
after made his appearance. She saluted him--modestly, he says himself; and
coolly, according to some other writers--and then turning away from him,
she covered her face, and seemed to be too much discomposed for
conversation.
Undoubtedly she was deeply affected with a multitude of conflicting
emotions, not the least of which was a just indignation on account of the
imposition which the English had practised upon her. For two or three
hours she was left to her own meditations. At the end of that time, after
much entreaty, she was prevailed upon to converse; and this point "once
gained, the politeness and kindness of her visitant and her own sweetness
of disposition, soon renewed her usual vivacity."
In the course of her remarks she called Smith her Father. That
appellation, as bestowed by a King's daughter, was too, much for the
captain's modesty, and he informed her to that effect. But she could not
understand his reasoning upon the subject. "Ah!" she said--after
recounting some of the ancient courtesies which had passed between
them--"you did promise Powhatan that what was yours should be his, and
hee the like to you. You called him Father, being in his land a stranger;
and by the same reason so must I doe you." Smith still expressed himself
unworthy of that distinction, and she went on. "Were you not afraid to
come into my father's countrie, and caused fear in him and all his
people--but mee--and _fear_ you I should here call you father? I tell you
then I _will;_ and you must call mee childe, and then I will bee foreuer
and euer your country-woman." She assured Smith, that she had been made to
believe he was dead, and that Powhatan himself had shared in that
delusion. To ascertain the fact, however, to a certainty, that crafty
barbarian had directed an Indian, who attended her to England, to make
special inquiries. This was Tomocomo, one of the emperor's chief
counselors, and the husband of his daughter Matachanna--perhaps the same
who had been demanded in marriage by Sir Thomas Dale, in 1614.
It is the last and saddest office of history to record the death of this
incomparable woman, in about the two-and-twentieth year of her age. This
event took place at Gravesend, where she was preparing to embark for
Virginia, with her husband, and the child mentioned in Smith's memorial.
They were to have gone out with Captain Argall, who sailed early in 1617;
and the treasurer and council of the colony had made suitable
accommodations for them on board the admiral-ship. But, in the language of
Smith, it pleased God to take this young lady to his mercy. He adds, that
she made not more sorrow for her unexpected death, than joy to the
beholders, to hear and see her make so religious and godly an end. Stith
also, records that she died, as she had long lived, a most sincere and
pious Christian. The expression of a later historian is, that her death
was a happy mixture of Indian fortitude and Christian submission,
affecting all those who saw her by the lively and edifying picture of
piety and virtue, which marked her latter moments. [FN]
* * * * *
[FN] Burk's Virginia, Vol. I.
The same philosophic writer, in his general observations upon the
character of Pocahontas, has justly remarked, that, considering all
concurrent circumstances, it is not surpassed by any in the whole range
of, history; and that for those qualities more especially which do honor
to our nature--a humane and feeling heart, an ardor and unshaken constancy
in her attachments--she stands almost without a rival. She gave evidence,
indeed, of possessing in a high degree every attribute of mind and heart,
which should be and has been the ornament and pride of civilized woman in
all countries and times. Her unwearied kindness to the English was
entirely disinterested; she knew that it must be so when she encountered
danger and weariness, and every kind of opposition and difficulty, to
bestow it, seasonably, on the objects of her noble benevolence. It was
delicate, too, in the mode of bestowment. No favor was expected in return
for it, and yet no sense of obligation was permitted to mar the pleasure
which it gave. She asked nothing of Smith in recompense for whatever she
had done, but the boon of being looked upon as his child. Of her character
as a princess, evidence enough has already been furnished. Her dignity,
her energy, her independence, and the dauntless courage which never
deserted her for a moment, were worthy of Powhatan's daughter.
Indeed, it has been truly said that, well authenticated as is the history
of Pocahontas, there is ground for apprehension that posterity will be
disposed to regard her story as a romance. "It is not even improbable,"
says Burk, "that considering every thing relating to herself and Smith as
a mere fiction, they may vent their spleen against the historian for
impairing the interest of his plot by marrying the princess of Powhatan to
a Mr. Rolfe, of whom nothing had been previously said, in defiance of all
the expectations raised by the foregoing parts of the fable."
Young Rolfe, her only offspring was left at Plymouth, England, under the
care of Sir Lewis Steukley, who undertook to direct his education--his
tender years making it inexpedient to remove him to Virginia. As that
gentleman was soon after completely beggared and disgraced by the part
which he took in the proceedings against Sir Walter Raleigh, the tuition
of Rolfe passed into the hands of his uncle, Henry Rolfe of London. He
became in after years a man of eminence and fortune in Virginia, and
inherited a considerable tract of land which had belonged to Powhatan. At
his death he left an only daughter, who was married to Col. Robert
Bolling. By him she had an only son, who was father to Col. John Bolling,
(well known to many now living;) and several daughters married to Col.
Richard Randolph, Col. John Fleming, Dr. William Gay, Mr. Thomas Eldridge
and Mr. James Murray. This genealogy is taken from Stith; and he shows
with sufficient minuteness, that this remnant of the imperial family of
Virginia, which long survived in a single person, had branched out into a
very numerous progeny, even as early as 1747. The Hon. John Randolph of
Roanoke is, if we mistake not, a lineal descendant of the princess in the
sixth degree.